


Little Things

by Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer



Series: Here We Are In The Future... [3]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, As you can see I have many Thoughts on Steven's recovery, Emotional Recovery, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Past Suicide Attempt, Post-Change My Mind, Recovery, Steven Universe Future, Steven Universe Gets Therapy, Steven Universe Has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Steven Universe's Brother, Sugar High - Freeform, Therapy, Walking Canes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28125921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer/pseuds/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer
Summary: Now, however, in the weeks that follow, he comes to the ever so slow realization - or perhaps, better yet, a reminder - that happiness doesn't have to be a permanent thing, and the things that give him joy, even for a few seconds at a time, are very much so worth listing.| Post-CMM (Change My Mind.)
Relationships: Buck Dewey & Jenny Pizza & Sour Cream & Aster Universe, Buck Dewey & Jenny Pizza & Sour Cream & Steven Universe, Greg Universe & Aster Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Kevin & Steven Universe, Kiki Pizza & Aster Universe, Kiki Pizza & Steven Universe, Onion & Aster Universe, Onion & Steven Universe, Steven Universe & Aster Universe, Steven Universe & Maria Roberts
Series: Here We Are In The Future... [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057664
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	Little Things

Happiness, Steven realizes again, is in the little things.

Maria had asked him once to make a list of the things that made him happy, and he found himself struggling quite a lot with it for the longest time. Now, however, in the weeks that follow, he comes to the ever so slow realization - or perhaps, better yet, a reminder - that happiness doesn't have to be a permanent thing, and the things that give him joy, even for a few seconds at a time, are very much so worth listing. It's not really in the big things Steven tried to think of, things he used to like but didn't have the energy for. Like playing guitar, gardening, _helping people._ It's in little things. Like picking flowers on his morning walks with Aster. Like calling the facility, half-frantic in the afternoon, to yell with Parker about the ending of 'Balance'. Like slipping his hand into Connie's under the table at dinner, twining their fingers together with a squeeze. Like Priyanka keeping a jar of lollipops with her when Steven comes for his appointments. It's in little things like when he finally gets Aster to _laugh_ , loud and startled and _giddy_. Like when Jasper grins at him, teeth and all showing, until she seems to remember that she's not supposed to show any positive emotions. Like listening to Lapis and Jasper banter, watching their mutual hatred shift into something lighter, something _teasing_ , almost friendly.

It's in the _normal_ moments.

(Like when Aster curls up beside him on the couch one night, watching reruns of Lonely Blade. Jasper's curled up on the floor beside the coffee table with Lion at her side, his head resting over the orange gem's arms. Steven glances over briefly, catches sight of them, and has to bite his tongue to keep himself from squealing. He then nudges Aster until his pink twin manages to tear his gaze away from the television, and it doesn't take long for his pupils to turn to diamonds. They sit for a moment, just staring at the two, before Aster shifts to pull his phone out and snaps a quick picture. Steven covers his mouth with the back of his hand to muffle his quiet giggling, amused and warmed by the cozy scene and knowing he's using that picture for blackmail later.)

It's in the little things. Like when he gets Aster to finally try something to eat - a strawberry donut with rainbow sprinkles. His brother nibbles at it reluctantly at first, and manages to almost look offended once he finally takes a full bite, as if the taste itself had committed some horrible crime against him. And then, slowly, Steven sees his expression shift, disgust shifting into confusion, and then curiosity. And then he's taking another bite, and another, until the pink frosting is smudged at the corners of his already pink mouth, only a few shades darker, and he's licking the sprinkles from his fingers while Steven laughs and passes him a few napkins from the bag.

(He's then reminded that Aster isn't used to eating sugar on his own when, after his brother devours his second donut, he launches into his very first sugar high that consists of an hour-long, passionate rant about how he hates the 'cat jump fail' videos on TubeTube because they pretty much border on animal cruelty, and ' _why would someone record their cat hurting themselves like that? It makes no sense. And then to post it on the internet, believing it to be funny? It's not funny. It has to_ _ **hurt**_ _, right?'_. Steven doesn't stop laughing the whole way home. And it's nice. It's nice to laugh. Aster doesn't get what's funny, of course. He pouts for a while, but Steven pulls him into a hug and assures him that, no, he's fairly certain the cats are fine.

Aster doesn't believe him.)

It's in the way Kevin appears at his door one morning just after breakfast. At this point, staying at the facility had more or less been a choice for him. He could have been discharged much sooner had he actually wanted to leave, he'd admitted. But then suddenly he was just there, shedding the typical mental hospital attire and dressed up in a leather jacket and cyan scarf.

(Steven laughs, because it's familiar, because it's relieving, because it's progress, because Kevin's there and he's okay and he's smiling, he's living, and he's happy. They're happy.)

It's in reuniting with his old friends, humans he'd forgotten about.

(He runs into Kiki a few times, out in the city. She still works at Fish Stew Pizza; Steven comes in with Aster and Greg every so often to pick up food while they're out. Introducing his brother to Kiki was fun, especially when she'd asked, with a grin, which one of them was the 'evil' twin.

Steven had jokingly said he was and received concerned glances from the twin in question and his father until he couldn't hold a straight face anymore and burst into giggles. Kiki was quick to follow and Greg wasn't too far behind; Aster looks a little startled, a little pleased, and even allows himself a few chuckles as he takes the pizza from Kiki himself because Greg and Steven are laughing too hard to be able to take it themselves. "It's me," Aster tells Kiki monotonously, and then leaves, and Steven and Greg laugh again for a bit longer before they pay and follow.)

(He sees the Cool Kids, the old Suspects. They still hang out together, roam the boardwalk. Steven occasionally breaks away from his father and Aster to join them.

"Cool cane," Buck comments. "What happened?"

"I broke my leg." Steven doesn't tell them how, he doesn't tell them _why_. ( _Not yet._ )

"Bummer, man. I broke my leg in highschool." Sour Cream winces, and so do Buck and Jenny. Then Jenny reaches down to rest a hand on his head like she used to do when he was a kid, and Steven, despite himself, finds himself leaning into the contact with a faint, content smile. Then Sour Cream looks over, checks behind them, and asks, "who's the pink kid with your dad?"

"Who looks like you," Jenny notes curiously as Steven cranes his neck to look behind him, flashing a grin at his father and his twin and gesturing for them to come over. "With fluffier hair-" Jenny gasps, realizing it, and nudges Steven lightly. "No way! Is this the 'evil twin'?!"

Steven laughs. He does that a lot now, he realizes suddenly. He can't remember the last time he laughed this often, this freely, this genuinely. Aster speaks as he approaches. "Yes, I am. Hello, I'm Aster."

"Hey." Buck's the first to offer his hand and Aster shakes it without hesitation. "I'm Buck."

"I know," Aster tells him, almost sounding amused. "I know who you all are."

Steven giggles, wraps an arm around his brother and squeezes lightly while the other three exchange amused looks and grin back at them, and Steven smiles until his face starts hurting.)

(He introduces Aster and Onion too, but the kid isn't as interested in his brother. It takes a few tugs on the shirt, some pointing at his gem and then at his forehead for Steven to understand. But he does understand. And he falters, for just a second. He knows what Onion's asking, what he wants, who he wants. And he doesn't know how to tell the kid that he'll never see Rainbow again. He doesn't know how to tell the kid that they're gone. He doesn't know how to tell him.

So he doesn't.

Just shrugs, smiles and tells him, hesitantly, "maybe someday."

The words echo in his head for the rest of the day.)

That night he thinks about Rainbow, thinks about Pearl. Remembers how happy she had been to fuse with him after everything with the Diamonds had calmed down, how content they were together as Rainbow 2.0. He doesn't feel angry, but he does feel _sad._ It's a soft kind of feeling. Gentle.

He tells his dad about it the next morning, because that's something they're working on. Something he's working on with Maria, telling them about the things that bother him. Greg hugs him, understands, tells him that it's okay to miss them even if he's mad at them. Maria tells him the same thing. And then she tells him, "you know, the opposite of love isn't hate, Steven. You can hate someone and still care about them. You can be angry at someone and still miss them. You don't have to forgive them, but that doesn't mean that you don't _love_ them all the same." She smiles at him as she adds, "it's normal." (He thinks that's her favorite part, honestly, reminding him of that. That it's normal. That the way he feels and thinks is normal.)

(He thinks it's his favorite part too. (It's one of those little things.))


End file.
